GABS Brewer 2018 – Two Heads Brewing

Where did the inspiration come from?
We’re good mates with a bunch of the wine producers in the region, and after successfully creating a Semillon Pale Ale for GABS last year, it was natural to have a bash at making a version with red varieties. Last year’s Cult of Dionysus was dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops, giving it a distinctly white wine character on the nose. This year we’ve gone for a more spicy, resinous hop schedule to try and compliment the red varieties. The development process is an interesting one – it basically involves mixing a bunch of beers with a bunch of different wines, often ruining two perfectly good drinks in the process! The cross fermentation in the tanks creates some really interesting flavors, but GABS beers in particular can be a bit of a shot in the dark, so we are hoping this one continues to bubble along nicely and turns into something pretty unique…so far so good!

Would you still drink craft beer if it was all alcohol-free?
Hmmm. Perhaps, but my observations over a beer wouldn’t be nearly as insightful.

What’s the dumbest thing you’ve had someone say to you about beer?
“Do you have anything that tastes like Great Northern” to which I generally reply “I hope not”.

The Great Australian Beer Spectapular is on in Melbourne on May 18-20 at the Royal Exhibition Building, Sydney on June 2 at the Sydney Showground and ASB Showgrounds in Auckland on June 30.